Value-limiting means for commercial papers



J. W. HOLLY Sept. 7-, 1926.

VALUE LIMITING MEANS FOR COMMERCIAL PAPERS' Filed Dec.

12M@ J ZEFMNZ ozoumm Iwdz NINTY 0R LESS mmm! Patented Sept.` 7, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT Y OFFICE.'

JoHN WQ HOLLY, or TALovILnE, Naw YORK.

VALUE-LIMITIN G MEANS FOR COMMERCIAL PAPERS.

Application fueaneeember 11, 1922. serial No. 604,256.

cludes a bodyportion for receiving indicia involving a money transaction, and a portion re-ferable to the body portionincluding a simple and compact :arrangementvof denominations for value limitation of the mat ter to. be carriedy .by the body portion;

Other objects and advantages of this inventiony will` be apparent during the coursey ofthe followingV detailed description. y,

Y Inthe accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein simi-p Vlar l reference characters designate corre` sponding parts throughout the several VIEWS I Figure 1 is a face View ofthe improved instrument in the form of a check, showing'l the, body `portion thereof, and the improved valuelimiting means associated therewith.

Figure 2 is a face view of the jcheck portionsy illustrated. in" Figure i l, however, showing 4Vthefbody portion of the check lled out,

V and itsvalue limiting portion thereof sev-V ered in such manner as to indicate a limiting value referableto the subject matter of the body portion of the check.

In the drawing, whereinl for the purposel `fof illustration is shownbut the preferred embodiment of this invention, the letter A generally designates 'the' improved instru- Y ment, `which may be in theform of a check, draft, voucher,y or any negotiable or non negotiable' paper, including a'body portion 10, and a value limiting extension ill.y TheV body portion 10 may be of any approved formation, "andi in the example of instrument n embodying the novel v-alue'limiting arrange ment, itis preferredjthat the check body portion l() be of rectangular formation, having indicia Y1la thereon, fandspaces adapted tol receive data, including indicia l2 designat# ing a money value.V Thus, in the case of a .u check, the indiciay 12 will be the amountl for which Ithe check is" drawn. o I f j l'llhe `,value limitingportion'll ofthe in struinent A, is preferably contiguous with' the bodyfportionfl i and: fixed thereto.l

10 and 1l. Complete value limiting de- 'i nominations 20 are disposed onk the face of lthe' portion 1l, which in themselves do not need to be4 added to or detracted from in order to express the limiting valuefwhioh is f referable to the amount indicated on the body portion r10. The aim in providing the iinproved arrangement onthe portion l1 has been that of compactness and simplicity,y yet giving a relatively great number of com-` pletedenominations which will permit of a wide range of amounts which maybe inscribed on the body portion.y To this end, f

the denominations 2O are vertically arrangedVY so as to be readable in the same directionv as the subject matter on the'bodyy portion 10.

A kvery important feature in the arrange-v i' ment of the individually complete denominations 20, is in thefact that'the digits of each denomination are iny stepped ,or offset relation with respect toV digits of anadja-y cent denomination.v For compactness thev i i ciphersl of the denominations, and in ypartioular` the end `ciphers of the1denominations are in overlapping relationwitlrthe digit portions of adjacentdenominations.y

` In following out the above arrangementk of'denominations 2O on the face of 'the eX# tension 11,*for clearness and distinctnesa;

the, denominations 2O may be arranged in diagonal rows, 25,' 26, etc., each of vwhich rowscontain a pluralityJ of denominations,.

arranged as above described, and Yin numerical sequence from the lower marginal edge 28 ofthe instrument A. lInfthis rarrangement, it is'to be noted that thetop and Vbottom complete denominations of `adjacent diagonal rowsmay haveithe digits" and cipher portions thereof -in overlapping relation, substantially as is illustrated in the drawing, wherein the ciphers-of the one hundred dollar denomination are in overlapping` relation withl the digit portion 9 of the ninety dollar denomination.

-In'order to distinctly define the important partsof the denominations from each other,

it is preferred `to segregate the digit porf-k tions of each ldenomination ina space, as. distinct from the digit portions ofadjacent denominations. To this end, verticalguide .lines 30 may be employed, in the manner above mentioned, `which separates the denominations 20 from each other, in so far as .theV digit l portionsthereofv are VVVconcerned.v

However, it is tobenoted thatthedigit poi-l tion and jthe :cipher portion of4 adjacent fr;

denominations may be in the same space intermediate the vertical line 30. This, however, detracts in no way from the eiiiciency of the arrangement, but is important in providing for compactness, which is most desired in this type of instrument for obvious r-easons. If desired, horizontal lines or analagous delineations 3l may e employed to entirely dubdivid-e adjacent denominations.

In the example shown, in Figure 2, the check is drawn for one hundred and eighteen dollars. he denominations 2O on the value limiting portion 1l, between which the one hundred and eighteen dollar amount falls, are the one hundred and ten dollar denomination, and the one hundred and twenty dollar denomination. To properly protect the instrument against being raised or altered to increase the amount one hundred and eighteen dollars, the instrument portion l1 is severed on the vertical guide line 30 between the digit portions of the one hundred and twenty and one hundred and thirty denominations, .substantially as is illustrated in Figure 2. It is obvious, even by a Casual glance, that the one hundred and twentyv denomination is the value limit of the amount indicated on the body portion 10.

From' the foregoing description of this invention, it can readily be understood that a distinct series of value limiting denominations have been provided, in that the same are vertically arranged so as to be readable in the same direction as the subject matter of the body portion of the instrument, thus permitting of any desired heightof the denomination figures, so as to make them distinct. In other Words, the height of the digits .and ciphers of the denomination ar-e not limited by the width of the spaces in which they are disposed. The straight edge, upon which the value limiting portion l1 has been severed is important, as it has been found that offset and fragmentary edges, such as is provided in connection with the filling out of money orders, are undesirable, in that the same easily become torn and crumpled at the oifet portion.

Various changes in the shape, arrangement of denominations, substitution of equivalents, and application of the value limiting feature of this invent-ion to various types of commercial paper, may be made to lthe form of the invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim l. An instrument of the class described comprising a body portion adapted to receive indicia designating a money value, and a valve limiting portion fiXedly extending` from the body portion having aI plurality of narrow vertical spaces subdivided from each other by parallel guide lines, and having a diagonal series of numerical denominations thereon in sequence with only the digit or digits of a single denomination appearing in any-single vertical space.

2. An instrument of the class described comprising a body portion adapted to receive indicia designating a money value, andY a value limiting portion fixedly extending from the body portion having a plurality of narrow vertical spaces subdivided from each other by parallel guide lines, and having a diagonal series of numerical denominations thereon in sequence with only the digit or digits of a single denomination appearing n in any single vertical space, the denominations of the series being in stepped relation with each other with the ciphers, of the denominations that have them, disposed in overlapped relation with the digits of an adjacent denomination and in the same vertical space therewith.

3. An instrument of the class described comprising a body portion, and a portion iXedly extending therefrom' having value limiting numerals thereon in complete denominations referable. to indicia to be placed on said body portion, and arranged in stepped relation so ythat the digits are disposed in overlapped relation with ciphers of adjacent numerals.

4L. An instrument of the class described comprising a body portion, and a value limiting portion provided with a plurality of complete value limiting denominations extending diagonally thereon and arranged so that the digits of adjacent denominations are in offset relation with the end ciphers of said denominations in overlapping relation with adjacent denominations.

'5. An instrument of the class described comprising a body portion, and a value limiting portion referable to said body portion and being provided with a diagonally disposed column of complete denominations thereon in numerical sequence, the digits of each denomination in said diagonal columns of denominations being in stepped relation with the digits of adjacent denominations, the end ciphers of each denomination in the diagonal columns of denominations being in overlapping relation with the digits of an adjacent denomination, said value limiting portion having guide' means subdividing the digit portions of said denominations with respect to each other, said denominations being arranged on the value limiting portion of the instrument so as to read in the same direction as the subject matter of said body portion.

6. An instrument of the class described comprising a body portion, and a. value limiting portion referable to said body portion being provided with ra plurality of series of diagonally arranged numerical denomilGf) nations tliereonin sequence, the digits of each of said denominations Vbeing in stepped relation with respect to ,reach other with the end ciphers of eaoh'of said denominations being in overlappingr relation Withthe digits of adjacent denomina-tions, the digits and oiphers of upper and'lowerjdenominations of different diagonal series being inv overlapping relation, said value limiting portion having vertical guide lines ythereon subdi- 10 viding the digit Vportions of said denominap same direction as the subject matter of the 15 body portion of said instrument.L

JOHN W. HOLLY. 

